Improvement in bridle-bits



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND DAY, OF IVES'I SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BRIDLE-BITS.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. 51,15 l, dated November 28, 1865.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND DAY, of West Springtield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement ifnBridle-Bits; and I do hereby declare the foi. .Jing to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference bein g had to the accompan yin g drawings, forming part ot' this specification, in which- Figure lis a perspective viewof a bit. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the center. Fig. 3 exhibits a section ot' one ot' Vthe rings and a portion ot' the mouth-piece.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts in the several tigures.

The main object ol this invention is to provide a superior substitute for a leather-covered bit; and to this end it consists in a metal bit covered with hard vulcanized india-rubber or guttapercha.

The advantages which a bit so covered has over one covered with leather are very great, for the leather covering becomes soft, spongy, and filthy, and thus requires frequent renewing; besides, it is diiicult to wash itclean; but the bit covered with hard vulcanized indiarubber or gutta-percha is very durable, is easily washed, is smooth and easy to the mouth ot' the horse, does not rust, and can be made less clumsy than the leathercovered bit. It is more pleasant to the horse than a naked metal bit, not only on account of its being softer,

but owing to theindia-rubber and gutta-percha being poor conductors of heat, and therefore not chilling the horses month in cold weather; and, moreover, the covering is very durable.

My bitthat is, the metal portion of it-is to be covered with the gum which has been prepared for vulcanization while such gum is in the plastic state. This may be done by wrapping the gum around the metal in sheets or strips or by pbacing the metal bit into a mold and pressing the gum around it to the desired thickness. The gum is afterward vulcanized on the bit by the application ot' heat in the usual manner. Upon theniouth-piece d, I place a reasonable thickness ot' gum, substantiallyT the same all over, as shown at a in Fig. 2.

That part ot' the covering ot' the side pieces or rings e e which is nearest the joint c, connecting them with the bit or mouth-piece, is thicker, and the thickness gradually decreases toward its opposite side, as is shown at c b in the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent as a new article of manufacture- A bridle-bit composed of metal covered with hard vulcanized gum, substantially as herein described.

EDMUND DAY.

Witnesses:

HENRY T. BROWN, J. W. CooMEs. 

